Rick's Ramblings

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Perfect Drive

I decided this was my year to exercise my prerogative to have a mid-life crisis. To conform to stereotypes, I confronted Lynne with either: 1) a mistress; 2) a convertible sports car.

We both decided the mistress would be too expensive.

So, meet “Mia”, my new Mazda Miata

Lynne is probably a better stick-shift driver than I am. But, I’m striving for the “perfect drive”. It is a 20 mile, 40 minute commute to work (and back). So, each time I take Mia to work, I strive to always be in the right gear at the right time going the right speed. No jerking, no chugging. Just a smooth, perfect drive.

I’m getting better. I’m much better at simply remembering what gear I am in!

I start at 100 and then take off a point each time I think I screwed up the perfect drive. I scored a 98 the other day!

Comments:

1. A friend emailed me this morning to say “Have you seen the OTHER Rick Robinson’s website? And gave the url to your site. Well, no I hadn’t, but when I got here I saw this post.

   I bought the first Miata, when they first went on sale in the US, sold in Orange County, CA. It was red, like nearly all the early ones (the other colors that first year were white and an awful blue). Black interior, black top, stick. It cost $18,200 fully optioned, though the option list was very short then, floor mats, upgraded speakers. It was my baby and I loved it until I got broadsided by a truck which ran a light. That little car was built so well it probably saved my life. I’d driven sticks all my life, so that was never a problem for me, and the Miata had one of the nicest shifting transmissions of any car I’ve driven. They still do, I drove one a year or so ago, just to see if they were still as much fun. I still miss that car. I hope you enjoy yours and keep it perfect. Congratulations on your car!

   Posted by Rick Robinson  on  07/02/2010  at  07:27 PM

2. I think the sports car (and particularly the red sports convertible), has lost its mid-life man in a crisis status nowadays.  I mean, the truth of the matter was that 2 generations ago, middle-aged men had these cars because the younger, and somewhat resentful tribes, never used to have the money for such luxury vehicles, not so these days of course. Yet a hard working guy of 40 plus, more than likely did have the means to acquire such a beast.

   Midlife crisis is a term given to middle-aged men, not by the men themselves, but by angry ex-wives, and jealous young males, both of which become resentful of his success.

   So forget conforming to stereotypes Rick, and just enjoy your well earned treat to yourself. Oh, and if you do decide on having a mistress to adorn the passenger seat of your slick Mazda Miata, well, that then is perhaps the stuff that other articles are made from

   Andy Aitch

   Posted by Andy Aitch  on  07/17/2012  at  12:11 AM

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